Pregnancy Calendar Week 35
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
Your Baby during Pregnancy Calendar Week 35
By pregnancy calendar week 35, your baby measures approximately 20 inches long and weighs nearly 6 pounds. About 5 percent of singletons, 35 percent of twins, and 80 percent of triplets will be born by pregnancy calendar week 35.
At this point in your pregnancy, your baby’s liver is beginning to process waste and the kidneys have completely developed. In fact, the vast majority of your baby’s growth is now complete.
Your Changing Body
During pregnancy calendar week 35, your uterus can be felt approximately 6 inches above your belly button. Your weight gain is probably between 24 and 29 pounds. However, there are many ways in which you can carry this excess weight. Depending upon your own size and the position of your baby, you may be carrying higher, lower, bigger, smaller, wider, or more compactly than your pregnant friends.
Many women complain of shortness of breath during pregnancy calendar week 35. This common pregnancy symptom occurs because your uterus now rests underneath your rib cage. However, once your baby drops, the pressure on your diaphragm should be relieved. In the meantime, sitting up straight and sleeping in a semi-propped up position should help relieve your discomfort.
Anxiety over your baby’s upcoming arrival, increased urinary frequency, and back pain may contribute to insomnia during pregnancy calendar week 35. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try doing relaxation exercises to clear your mind, limiting your nighttime fluid intake, and performing pelvic tilts to reduce backaches.
After pregnancy calendar week 35, your healthcare provider will likely begin regular checks of your cervix during your prenatal appointments. This will help him/her determine what position your baby is in while checking for signs of effacement and dilation. Effacement stretches and thins your cervix, while dilation opens your cervix to allow the baby to pass through.
Understanding Cesarean Births
Cesarean births are often necessary for babies to safely make their way into the world. In the event of fetal distress, a prolapsed umbilical cord, a ruptured uterus, or other complications, a cesarean is often the best choice for a safe delivery. Cesareans are also performed if the mother suffers from kidney disease, a respiratory disorder, or another condition which would make a vaginal birth difficult.
However, many experts are concerned about the recent rise in cesarean births. In the United States, over 25 percent of babies are born via cesarean. While a large portion of these cesareans were medically necessary, others were performed largely for convenience or to protect against possible malpractice lawsuits.
Since a cesarean is major abdominal surgery, most women will require a three to four day hospital stay and have a longer recovery time for for a vaginal birth. However, there are very few differences between an infant born via cesarean and a vaginally delivered baby. Cesarean infants usually have a more pleasant appearance, since their heads haven’t been pushed through the pelvis. Apagar scores measuring an infant’s condition after birth are similar for both cesarean and vaginal births.
While most women won’t know if a cesarean is necessary until they are in labor, some cesarean births are scheduled in advance. If your healthcare provider recommends a scheduled cesarean, ask for an explanation and any available alternatives to a surgical delivery.
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